During your time with CAMHS, there will be variety of professionals involved with your care. They are all there to help you with your journey but it helps to know who they are and what it is they are there to help you with.

Have a read through our roles here or if you are looking for a specific role, click on the letter it begins with to jump straight to it.

 

A

Advocate

We are independent professionals (not a part of the trust or mental health team), who help support children and young people and/or carers through their contact with health services. We help support them to ask questions and get their messages across.

Administrators and Receptionists

We organise appointments, answer the phones, provide administrative support and welcome children, young people and their families into the service.

C

Care Coordinator

We make sure that the child or young person has care that is properly planned and that they get the help they need. We will usually work with a community mental health team and are a community mental health nurse, social worker or occupational therapist.

Community Support Worker

We help to improve the lives of disadvantaged individuals or groups by supporting change in the community.

Creative Therapists

We are trained therapists who use art, dance and movement in our therapy with young people and their families.

D

Dieticians

We are experts in human nutrition and the regulation of diet. We  alter the diet of children and young people based on their individual needs. We are registered healthcare professionals licensed to assess, diagnose and treat nutritional problems.

G

General Practitioner (GP/Doctor)

We are able to make a referral to CAMHS if we feel you need help from their services. We also communicate closely with CAMHS and will often be the provider of regular medication after the child or young person has been discharged from CAMHS.

H

Health Care Assistant (HCA)

We work under the guidance of a variety of professionals to help with things such as emotions, food and personal care.

M

Manager

We are responsible for maintaining the standard of the service, for putting the trust's policies and procedures in place, for managing budgets and for planning and developing new services.

Mental Health Practitioners

We are usually trained in mental health and help in the assessment (understanding) and management of emotional, behavioural and mental health problems.

N

Nurses

Psychiatric nurses, high risk nurses or CAMHS nurses are registered nurses who are trained in mental health. They are there to look after you.

Nutritionist

We advise on how food and nutrition affect children and young people's health.

O

Occupational Therapist

We are here to help children and young people who have been suffering with mental health problems, build up the confidence and skills needed to live a normal and fulfilling life.

P

Paediatrician

We specialise in the medical care of children and young people.

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

We provide support, advice and information to service users and their families. We can also tell you how to complain about a service, and can explain the trust's complaints procedures. 

Psychiatrists

We are medically qualified doctors, who specialise in working with young people with mental health problems and their families. We can prescribe medication if needed.

Psychologists

There are different types of psychologists as well as assistant and trainee psychologists, but we all help with the way that people behave and they way they feel and think about things. We can assess and help with children and young people's psychological functioning, emotional wellbeing and development.

Psychotherapists

We are trained therapists who work with children to help them deal with their emotional and mental health problems. Our aim is to help them to understand why they feel the way you do, and what lies behind their responses to other people and to things that happen to them.

R

Researchers/Students

We are training to work within CAMHS and may be involved in the work of the team.

S

Social Workers

We are trained to provide extra support to help keep children and young people safe. There are different types of social worker, some will help if the child or young person is in danger of being abused or if they are in care. Some social workers are trained in mental health and can offer counselling.

Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO)

We work with children and young people in their school if they have special educational needs.

Speech and Language Therapists

We specialise in developing communication skills.

Systemic Family Therapists

We are trained therapists who work with children and their families together, to help them understand and manage the difficulties that are happening in their lives.

Y

Young Person's Participation Lead

I am here to make sure that children and young people using our services can be involved in developing and improving the services through participation. For more information please visit our involving you page.